Wayanad Landslide Rehabilitation: Foundation Stone for Township to Be Laid on 27th, Govt Pledges Full Support

Thiruvananthapuram: Revenue Minister K. Rajan announced that the foundation stone for the township designated for the Wayanad landslide disaster victims will be laid on March 27th, marking the commencement of construction.He clarified that the existing list of beneficiaries is not final, and all raised complaints will be addressed. The government aims to fully rehabilitate the affected families, ensuring a better quality of life than they previously had. The minister was responding to the opposition's submission seeking a discussion on landslide rehabilitation in the assembly.
The devastating landslides occurred on July 30, 2024, in the hilly regions of Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala villages in Wayanad district, Kerala. The calamity resulted in the tragic loss of 298 lives and left 118 people missing, making it one of the deadliest disasters in Kerala’s history. The disaster caused widespread destruction of buildings, particularly in the worst-affected settlements of Mundakkai and Chooralmala, displacing numerous families and severely impacting local infrastructure.
The government plans to resettle displaced families through two model township projects. One will be developed on 58.5 hectares of land in Harrison Malayalam's Nedumbala Estate, while the other will be built on 48.96 hectares in Elstone Estate. Each family will be provided with a 1,000 sq ft residential unit, which will be hereditary, ensuring long-term security by allowing ownership to be passed down through generations. However, to maintain community stability, the properties cannot be transferred or sold for 12 years. In cases of financial distress, families may mortgage their properties with government approval. To ensure clear ownership, the residential unit and house will be registered in the name of the living householder.
Minister K. Rajan criticized the central government, stating that instead of acting as a guardian angel in times of disaster, it behaved like a demon. It took five months for the central government to declare the landslide a disaster of ‘severe nature.’ Despite multiple appeals, including from the Chief Minister, to waive the loans of disaster victims, no action was taken. In contrast, Kerala Bank decided to write off the loans entirely within a month. On the 64th day after the disaster, the state government issued an order to acquire land for rehabilitation. If there had been no court case, nearly half of the houses would have been completed by now. The government will cover the full cost of medical treatment for victims and ensure that no one affected is left out. The minister also called for collective resistance against the inhumane approach of the central government.